


Amidst the Stars

by vixensheart



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura Lives, Alternate Ending, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Slice of Life, implied allurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22793863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vixensheart/pseuds/vixensheart
Summary: Missions are hard, but her found family makes it easier.
Relationships: Allura/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17
Collections: Allura Lives Zine





	Amidst the Stars

“Thank you, Chancellor.” Allura dipped her head and twisted her arm; it was a customary exchange of respect between individuals on the planet, similar to the human handshake. Or, that was what Allura understood from Lance’s rambled explanations. The Selars’ Chancellor repeated the gesture from across the table. Allura rose from her chair. “I shall send the Garrison your regards.” Not waiting for a response, as surely there wasn’t one, she swept out of the chamber with Romelle at her side. The guards held open the massive, onyx doors, which thumped shut behind them. Allura maintained her posture only long enough to turn the corner before her shoulders sagged and she breathed a sigh. “That took ages,” she said. Romelle grimaced. 

“I could hardly understand what he was saying; it was hard to keep notes.” She looked at the tablet cradled in her arms, eyes wide and a pout on her lips. “I hate these stuffy meetings.” 

Allura laughed, rueful. “Me too. But, we have an alliance to maintain. So meetings we must attend.” She sighed again, cradling her head in her hands. “Even if they’re dull enough to nearly send us to sleep.” Allura grimaced. Ever since the fall of the empire, there had been nonstop work. As leader of the coalition, Allura hardly had time to sleep these days. She was constantly warping from planet to planet, system to system, running meetings, negotiating with remaining factions of Galra, quelling uprisings, and handling the residues of Honerva’s magic that stained the universe. All in all, she was in  _ great _ need of a vacation. Allura tugged at the pins holding her bun in place and pulled her thick hair free. “I just want a hot bath,” she groaned, shoulders slumping. Romelle sighed, dreamy, and bobbed her head beside her. 

“That does sound quite lovely…” 

The two of them departed from the grand hall with little fanfare. A Selarian appeared nearly out of the woodwork to escort them back to the ship bay. Allura trudged through the halls as if in a trance, exhaustion pushing down on her shoulders like weights tied to her back. Colors and sparkles shimmered on the edges of her gaze; the hall they were in was decorated ornately. She’d been awed on the way in at the many jewels and vaulted ceilings. Now though, everything blurred together in a confusing cacophony of colors and shapes. She also registered the click-clack of their small entourage as the trekked down the massive halls. The sound echoed, ringing in her ears until it was little more than white noise. 

At last, they swept out into the ship bay, the imposing image of the Atlas standing out on the planet’s horizon. Allura and Romelle both paused to twist their arms, palms outward and fingers entwined, in the locals’ custom, and bowed their heads respectfully. Their guide returned the gesture, murmuring, “Safe travels, Princess, Senator,” before departing and leaving them both alone. The two shared a glance and a shrug, and boarded their ship. 

The Atlas, as large as it was, had quite the crew. Run primarily by the humans from the Earth’s Garrison, Allura still had yet to remember all their names. One of the few familiar faces she knew stood there at the helm and greeted them as they walked onto the bridge. “Allura, Romelle,” Shiro said, a smile on his face. “How was the meeting?” 

Romelle groaned dramatically and flopped herself into the nearest empty chair. “It was torture,” she whined. “They went on, and on, and _ on _ about shipping routes and argued with us over trade for a whole varga!” She grumbled more under her breath before gesturing towards Allura. “It was only thanks to her that we made any progress; I was just about to tear my hair out!” 

Allura snorted. “Don’t be fooled, I wanted to rip my hair out too. They were quite...demanding.” She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. The Selarians were very invested in trade, thanks to the minerals on their planet making farming difficult. If Allura remembered correctly, the planet itself was inhabited by a race that had migrated there from somewhere else, though she couldn’t quite remember where. Her hands itched to search the castle’s databases, and she had to quell a surge of sadness welling in her chest. Oh, the castle. Allura cast a longing glance at the crystal powering the Atlas and sighed again. She really needed that bath. 

“Did you at least come to a consensus?” Shiro asked, drawing her from her thoughts. Allura nodded. 

“Yes, they agreed with our final outline, and are willing to join the coalition.” 

Shiro nodded, relief easing onto his features. “Good. That means the Coalition has the entire quarter, then.” He pulled a holographic tablet from a wave of his robotic arm and started tapping away. “Next quarter is just a galaxy over…” 

Allura suppressed a groan. Despite the war being over, there was tons of bureaucratic nonsense to sort out amidst the innumerable planets. The Coalition was a shining beacon of hope for most places, offering resources and relief to war torn sections of the universe. They were even starting to rehabilitate and reestablish many of the Galra factions into functioning and independent groups, while also freeing the planets that were forced into their control. Of course, there were still revolting factions out there, especially of the Galra, who were not happy with the Coalition and its efforts. Even more troubling were the surprisingly large number of planets hesitant to join the Coalition. Which was quite the headache. 

A gentle hand on her shoulder startled Allura, and she blinked at the gentle smile from Shiro. “Hey,” he said, voice soft, “why don’t you get some rest. Coran and I can take care of the logistics of our next trip for now.” 

She raised a brow and smiled. “Don’t you need some rest as well, Captain?” Allura teased. Shiro lowered his arm and pouted, a sight that had Allura stifling a giggle. 

“Hey, now, I’m trying to do you a favor!” 

Allura poked his shoulder. “And _ I’m _ performing my duty as your friend.” This drew out a laugh, and Shiro rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about me, Princess.” He resumed his typing, his gaze flickering from the screen back up to her. “I now have two whole crews nagging me about my sleep schedule. I’ll be fine. Now go, rest.” Shiro turned, then, leaving Allura to roll her eyes fondly and trudge away to her quarters. 

The Atlas was a bit of a maze. Corridors to meeting rooms and storage rooms and bunkers; there were many opportunities to get lost aboard the ship, if one didn’t know their way around. Allura still sometimes found herself taking a wrong turn, especially when she got a little too much into her head. Like tonight, apparently. She turned a bend and found herself standing in the ship’s galley, rather than the hallway to her quarters. Allura sighed. Quiznack. 

“Oh! Allura!” Pidge’s voice snagged her attention she jerked her gaze to one of the many countertops, where the hacker in question was perched and beaming at her. “What’s up?” 

Allura’s lips twitched into a grin. “Well, I was on my way to my quarters, but I seem to have gotten a bit turned around again. What are you doing here so late?” 

Pidge snorted. “Oh, yeah, I get turned around too. It’s weird how much like the castle this ship is sometimes…” She trailed off, looking thoughtful. “Oh, right. Anyway, I’m hiding. Hunk, Keith, and I are...uh...playing a bit of hide and seek.” 

At this, Allura quirked a brow. That was a bit unusual. It wasn’t uncommon for the paladins to goof around a bit during downtime between missions, but she definitely didn’t see hide and seek as a game any of them would willingly play, as Lance once claimed it was ‘lame’. Well, Hunk perhaps would. Only because he was too nice to turn Pidge down on most things. “Are you now?” she said. Something devious sparkled in Pidge’s gaze, but she nodded eagerly. 

“Yeah, we are. Do you wanna play?” 

“I think I’m alright,” Allura said with a laugh. Pidge shrugged at that. 

“Suit yourself. Oh, uh, and if you see Keith or Hunk, don’t tell them where I am.” 

This drew another laugh from Allura, and she shook her head fondly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I haven’t seen you all night.” 

Pidge grinned, wide and dangerous. “Good. Very good.” 

Allura snorted behind her hand and left Pidge to her nefarious devices. It was obvious by the lingering snickers that Pidge was up to something other than an innocent game of hide and seek, but Allura was too tired to investigate. Plus, she had a bubble bath calling her name. So she meandered out of the kitchen. Of course, two turns later had her running into Keith and Hunk. 

“Allura!” Hunk cried. “Allura, Allura, hey, how are you, how was your day? Good? Great.” He paused, sucking in a breath of air, before leaning close, eyes serious. “Have you seen Kosmo at all? We can’t find him. Anywhere.” 

Keith scowled from beside Hunk. “I’m telling you, Hunk, someone’s got him. He never  _ doesn’t _ show up for beggin’ strips.” 

Allura blinked. Pidge’s wild grin flashed across her mind, and she couldn’t stop the twitch of her lips. She clasped her hands behind her back and tried to adopt an innocent expression. “Erm, I have not, unfortunately. I just got back from a diplomatic mission, actually. Sorry, boys.” 

There was silence. The two boys stared at her for a beat before slowly turning to look at each other. “Pidge,” they said in unison. Immediately, the two broke out into a jog, boots squeaking against the ship’s floor. “If she dyed his fur pink again, I am going to kill her,” Keith growled as they disappeared around the corner. The image of Kosmo with pink fur danced in her mind. Snorts of laughter bubbled from within, and Allura clasped her hand over her face. 

At last, she made it to her room. She sighed, relieved, and hit the keypad. Finally. Now for that bubble bath. Allura made quick work of her attire, shivering under the snip of the cool castle air against her skin. She then filled up her private tub with warm water to the brim, adding in a healthy dose of pink flower scented bubbles. 

Allura sunk into the water and felt the tension melt out of her body. She breathed, contented. This was exactly what she needed. 

An hour later found her with a towel wrapped around her hair and a silk robe draped over her body. Tugging the towel loose, Allura freed her curls, shivering as they brushed against her bare shoulders. She rustled through her closets, finding some comfortable leggings and a sweater, and pulled them on. A quick check in the mirror, and she nodded, satisfied. Simple and comfy, yet still cute. Happy butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She skipped out of her room, heading up to the bridge. 

It was quiet on the ship, now. Only a handful of personnel roamed the halls, all of which dipped their heads respectfully at her as she passed. Allura returned the odd human gesture, her feet carrying her to a familiar spot; a corner of the bridge, tucked in the shadows and right in front of the ship’s massive windows. There, the stars of the surrounding galaxy were on full display. On the floor, settled on a pile of blankets and pillows, lay Lance. Allura smiled, heart thumping in her chest. She stepped closer, peering down at him. “Is this seat taken?” she asked, teasing. Lance smiled up at her, brows raised. 

“Hmm, I dunno. I was sort of waiting for someone…” 

Allura laughed. He let out a snort and scooted over, giving her room to plop down beside him. She made herself comfortable and found her gaze immediately drawn overhead. Stars shimmered brightly against a great expanse of nothingness. Her breath lodged itself in her throat; she never really got used to staring out into the universe like this. “It’s so beautiful,” she murmured. Lance hummed beside her. 

“Yeah.” There was a peaceful pause, before the blankets rustled as Lance shifted to peer at her. “How was the meeting?” he asked. Allura sighed and ran a hand down her face.

“Annoying.” 

He winced. “Sorry.” A coy grin slid onto his face, and Lance rested his head in the crook of her neck. “If it makes you feel better, I knew you’d knock their socks off because you’re just that awesome.” 

Allura snorted, shoving at his shoulder. “Oh, please, you’re just saying that.” 

Lance laughed. He raised his hands up in surrender, eyes twinkling in the starlight. “Hey, now, I speak only truth.” 

She rolled her eyes. A smile lingered on her lips, though, along with the warm feeling she always got when bantering with Lance. Allura reached for his hand, entwining their fingers. “Hush. I’m trying to stargaze.” 

Their banter subsided, and the two laid side-by-side, basking under the magnificence of the universe. Here, it was easy to feel small, lost among the never ending stars. They went on and on, forever. But with her hand warm in Lance’s grasp, Allura felt grounded, able to admire the sparkle without losing herself in the stardust. Here, she wasn’t Allura, princess of Altea, or Allura, founder of the coalition, or Allura, blue paladin. 

Here, she was just Allura. And that was more than okay with her. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the Allura Lives Zine, and we're allowed to post now!! The zine is beautiful, and the experience was great!!!! <3


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